Comapare and Contrast the Paleolithic and Neolithic Era

Paleolithic and Neolithic Era

The Paleolithic and Neolithic culture can be compared in many ways because the Paleolithic culture was a gateway for the Neolithic era. They also contrast because the Neolithic people transitioned and advanced the skills of the Paleolithic people to become a more settled agrarian people. The Paleolithic culture was characterized by a hunting and gathering lifestyle for humans. During this time their diet was almost exclusively wild meats, fish, vegetables and fruits. The people lived in caves and occupied rock and wood shelters. They would tend to stay in large groups sharing food among family members. The Paleolithic tools such as flint axes, cutters and scrapers had to be obtained from nature. Art that was painted on cave walls, depicting everyday life, was produced towards the end of the Paleolithic age. A gradual transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural economies began at the start of the Neolithic age. During this time food was still gathered from the wild but they also cultivated wheat and barley and raised sheep, goats and pigs for food. The Neolithic farmer began to build permanent mud-brick homes, giving rise to towns and later cities and states. Tool making continued to develop. Flint was easy to shape and produced razor sharp edges for arrowheads, knives and scrapers. Stone was tougher and was ground for hammers, axes and chisels. They also developed methods for drilling, grinding grain and made stone bowls for storage. Pottery also came into use and acquired simple decoration late in the period. The Neolithic art consisted of plastered walls decorated with murals, carved reliefs and also shrines honoring a mother goddess. In conclusion we can see that the Paleolithic and Neolithic culture used the same skills and tools. They both were hunter-gatherers and used the same flint based tools. In addition to this both left their art on the walls of their habitats. The Neolithic people took these skills a step further and became a more settled people. They learned to build homes, grow crops, raise meat and make better tools from stone. They also show the first signs of religion by honoring a mother goddess. Therefore both cultures were the same in many ways but differed because of the human ability to adapt.